Fade to Black
by Janiceelynn
Summary: He lost the one he loves, but he'll never stop searching. Even through death. AU/AH, One-shot. Entry for the ‘In the Dark’ contest.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own _The Twilight Saga._

**Author's Note:** I've grown completely attached to this little story and I'd love it if you gave it a chance. It's different; sort of like a puzzle that slowly pieces itself together as you reach the end. Just don't forget to tell me what you think when you get there.

* * *

**Fade To Black**

_You miss her so badly it hurts. You know it's only a matter of time before you follow her._

_Then you hear her voice calling out to you, pulling you from the white bed with white sheets surrounded by white walls. Everything is white. __Your eyes squint against it—against the blinding brightness. You begin to wish for black—darkness—something to consume you and put you out of your misery._

_Your hand drags along the pristine walls as you make your escape, desperate for the face that matches that sweet, sweet voice._

"_Edward!"__ she calls. The haunting sound of her voice echoes through the empty hallway and your head turns, frantically searching for its counterpart. _

"_Help!"__ she cries. But you can't find her and you're heaving, clutching at your chest as you fight for air, but still you move on._

_You have to find her._

_You follow her pleas like an addict after his drug of choice, a slow walk on the path of destruction; you know you won't survive it in the end, but the high gets you as close to Heaven as you'll ever be._

_You gasp as the sound of footsteps make their way towards you, the clicking of heels growing louder. You find yourself growing nervous, quickly ducking into the nearest room._

_It's dark. Dark is good._

_You breathe, relieved, as the threatening sound passes you by and you open the door, peeking out to make sure the coast is clear before you continue your journey._

_The sound of your bare feet slapping against the concrete floor seems too loud in the quiet building. You cringe but continue moving forward._

_You have to find her._

_She's here, you feel her, but you can't see her and that terrifies you. You weave through the different hallways like a maze until you reach a door. The door is unlocked._

_You check behind you and no one is there. You open the door, escaping out into the night._

_The breeze is cool and small drops of rain find you, splashing against your face as you walk down the road, unnoticed._

"_Edward,"__ you hear again, an unmistakable panic laced in her usual angelic voice. She's scared so, therefore, you're scared._

_You quicken your pace, following your Heaven._

_Long brown hair blows in the wind just within the alleyway. You chase her._

_She's gone._

_The dark brick walls of abandoned buildings taunt you as you search blindly through the narrow passages; everything is still and it bothers you but you wander deeper into the dark anyway._

_Left._

_Right._

_Straight._

_Back._

_You want to go back. You're tired and scared; you can't find her but you have to._

_You __need__ to find her._

_You can't give up._

_So you follow her cries, her pleas, but they always fade, leaving you alone and searching._

_You heart cracks; you choke back a sob and just keep moving, never stopping._

"_Edward!"__ she calls again, her scent strong and alluring, pulling you forward. _

_So sweet._

_The thought of her makes you smile. She is yours – always yours. _

_But you have to find her._

_The walls stretch for miles it seems, never ending, as you walk through the unfamiliar area._

"_Where are you?"__ you want to shout, but your mouth is dry and the words are never heard._

_You blink back the tears that threaten to spill, moving forward until there is nowhere else to go._

'_Where is she?'_

_You look around in a panic and see nothing._

_Just a wall._

_The tears spill freely from your eyes now, anger ripping through your chest. You growl, turning around and throwing your fist into the hard rock wall._

_Your hand aches, but you thrive on that and keep wailing until both of your fists are bloody and frail. _

_You don't stop; the wall is in your way, blocking her from you and you need her._

_You cry as you pound, trying to get to her. She's there; you can feel it._

_You just can't__ see__ her._

_You claw and bang and punch and kick until your body gives out and you collapse to the ground, where you stay, staring at the pavement as the rain washes the blood from your skin._

_Your body aches from the pain of love lost; your heart squeezes in your chest. You cough, trying to breathe, but everything hurts and you feel the blood trickling down your face, leaving a cool puddle of red beneath you._

_It's cold, you can't move and it's dark; the sounds of sirens and alley-cats filling the raunchy air._

_Your nose curls up in protest of the smell of garbage and urine around you, and you groan in pain, slowly flipping yourself over so that your eyes are to the dreary sky, rain spilling from the clouds._

_And you smile._

_Soon the painful throb in your head is subsided by the numbness and you laugh as your vision blurs._

_She is coming._

_Your eyes grow heavy and everything is quiet, calm. You can hear the uneven beats of your heart pounding in your ears as the darkness takes over, freeing you from the nightmare you've lived for so long, and brings you your Bella._

_

* * *

_

Marie was a young nurse at the psychiatric hospital in Seattle and was preparing to make her morning rounds. Unlocking the supply closet, she filled up a tray for each patient on her level and made her way down the hall.

The building was quiet and other then the loose wheel of her cart and the squeaky noises made by her black Mary Jane shoes, it seemed almost empty.

But she knew that wasn't the case.

Stopping by the first door on her right, she took out her master key and pushed it open. She picked up the bright red tray and walked in, setting it on the table by the bed.

"Mr. Jenkins," she said, gently shaking the sleeping man. "It's time to wake up."

Mr. Jenkins was one of the older patients. He was kind and you wouldn't have guessed there was anything wrong, if it wasn't for the severe case of paranoia. He claimed that the world was surrounded by vampires and confessed to helping them by creating fake IDs and passports.

The police called the hospital immediately.

Mr. Jenkins jumped up from the contact, staring around the room with wide eyes. Marie sighed.

"Good morning, Mr. Jenkins." She smiled politely.

He stopped and turned to look at the woman in front of him, giving her a warning glance.

She gave the man a small nod and moved to leave the room.

Sometimes Mr. Jenkins refused to speak, claiming that the vampires would hear him. He would even go as far as writing down an entire conversation. She never really understood but she didn't question it either, that was the therapist's job. Keeping the smile on her face, she walked out of the room and locked the door behind her.

Marie stopped for a second before moving on to the next door. Although she loved her job, seeing the patients often wore her out. She couldn't even begin to fathom some of their thought processes and it saddened her when they got worked up. The job all together was stressful but at the same time rewarding. She adored most of the people and didn't really mind the work; it was worth it in the end.

Marie ran a hand through her long sandy hair, taking that last second to regroup before she moved on.

Unlocking the door, she stepped into the cold room.

Edward Mason.

He was one of her favorite patients and not because of his good looks like some of the other nurses she worked with.

Edward was a mystery.

He was reclusive and strange. He'd do what he was told with absolutely no emotion or restraint, almost robotically.

Smiling sadly, she walked over to the bed, routinely setting down the tray before moving to wake him up.

"Edward," she called lightly.

He didn't move.

Trying again, she huffed as she got no response. It was unlike Edward to refuse to get up.

She tried a few more times before growing worried; she had dealt with things like this before but never from him. Her eyebrows scrunched together as she watched the body lay motionless and she gasped, moving to check his pulse.

Closing her eyes as moisture began to pool there, she shook her head.

He wasn't sleeping.

* * *

Carlisle frowned as the paramedics closed the bag with a loud, audible 'zip' before carrying the body into the van.

He had known Edward; along with being a doctor in the hospital he was admitted in, Edward's father had been a friend of his for many years and he had watched the small boy grow into a man. It saddened him to see him die so young.

But he wasn't surprised.

He knew – had always known – that he would follow her. Their love was too deep, too strong, to be apart.

He glanced through the file in his hand, staring sadly at the words on the page.

_Name: Edward Anthony Mason_

_Gender: male_

_Age: twenty-five_

_Suffers from: clinical depression, catatonic behaviour, hallucinations and suicidal tendencies-_

He stopped reading; he knew his file well.

But Edward wasn't crazy, that much he knew. He just lost half of himself and hadn't known how to function without her.

Edward had been a good, smart man who had many successful years ahead of himself. But Carlisle knew that without her, none of that mattered.

And he understood too. He, himself, wouldn't know what to do if his beloved Esme ever left his side. He was almost positive that he'd do anything to be with her again, even if that meant taking himself off of the earth and into the loving hands of God. He would follow her anywhere, even in death.

Carlisle quickly signed the papers, writing his thoughts and approximate time of death before walking over to the paramedics and handing them the form. Edward would need to be taken in for an autopsy, he and the other doctors were uncertain as why someone so young would die in their sleep.

Carlisle stepped back and watched with sad eyes as the man shut the doors and the ambulance drove away.

It was quiet – too quiet. The sirens should be on, people should be talking and those passing by should keep moving.

But the sirens were off, signaling a life that was no more. And the crowds had stopped, quieting as they watched and wondered what had happened; the few who knew casting their eyes to the ground in a form of farewell for a stranger.

And Carlisle was reminded too much of that day, three years ago.

**

* * *

**

**Edward Mason – Three years ago **

Edward changed out of his scrubs quickly and walked out to his car. His residency had just begun and already he was questioning if this was what he really wanted to do; late nights, mixed shifts, on-call duty. He missed having a life, hanging out with his friends, and mostly, spending time with his Bella. Starting his car, Edward made his way out of the parking lot and down the highway.

The music was loud, keeping him awake until he could go home and relax in his own bed with his life in his arms.

The blaring music drowned out the shrill ringing of his phone. It rang three times before he noticed. Quickly he turned down the radio and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" he asked.

"_Edward?"_ a voice he would always recognize asked quietly. Edward was stopped at a red light, so he had a bit of time to talk.

"Bella," he sighed; her voice was soothing and beautiful and just... _home._

"_Edward?"_ she asked again, sounding tired and distraught. Edward's head snapped up.

"Bella? I'm here. What is it baby?" he asked quickly. There were muffled sounds in the background and Edward started to get worried. He tapped the steering wheel impatiently as he waited for the light to change. "Bella?" he asked again, this time a bit louder. He needed her to talk to him; he needed to know she was okay.

"_Help,"_ she whispered, her breath was ragged through the phone, and he could tell she was crying from the shakiness of her voice.

Edward's eyes grew wide from that one single word and despite the light still being red, he drove right through. "Bella, listen baby, I don't know what's going on. You need to talk to me here; I'm on my way home," he urged her, trying to comfort her as best he could through the phone. He heard her take a few deep breaths but she didn't speak.

"Bella?" he questioned.

"_I love you,"_ she whispered, almost in defeat. Edward stepped a little harder on the gas.

"What's going on?" he demanded. He flinched, terrified, as a loud scream filled his ears and the line went dead.

"Fuck!" he yelled, chucking the phone half-heartedly into the passenger seat and sped up the car, swerving passed the others in a blur.

He didn't know what was happening but Bella was in trouble and he would do anything to make her safe.

He had to make her safe.

Edward spotted their building and drove the car right onto the sidewalk, not bothering to remove the keys or even shut the door as he hopped out and ran full speed to their apartment. He ran up the three flights of stairs, almost knocking someone down on the way, until he was at their level. He pushed through the steel door and ran down the hallway to room 308.

_Bella. _

Edward threw open the door, frantically searching for her. He felt her there but he couldn't see her, couldn't hear her humming or walking about and that terrified him.

"Bella!" he hollered, running through the house searching. It was a mess; torn apart, furniture askew and pictures knocked down.

His heartbeat picked up as he quickened his pace around the small apartment. She wasn't in the living room or the kitchen. He ran to the bathroom and she wasn't there either.

"Bella!" he called out again desperately. He was out of breath, and there were tears on his face but he didn't stop. He ran to the only other room in the house and barged through the door, gasping at the sight before him.

There she lay, covered in blood, beside their bed; her phone broken in pieces against the wall.

Edward's breath was shaky as he clutched his chest, falling to the ground. Slowly, as if time had stopped, he crawled over to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her lightly, as if she were a feather in the wind.

That day Edward knew of three things for certain. First, Bella was gone. Second, he would do whatever it takes to avenge her. And third, he would soon follow.

* * *

"James Hunter, convicted for the murder of Isabella Swan three years ago, was sentenced to the death penalty last week in court," the news reporter announced. "Sources say he entered the twenty-two-year-old's apartment building late at night and brutally stabbed the victim. She died on spot.

"Isabella's boyfriend of four years found her body and made the 911 call. He had no comments.

"James will be executed by lethal injection tomorrow at noon, after statements are given from a few family and friends of Isabella.

"In other news..."

Charlie grunted as he switched off the TV.

_Isabella. _It pained him that they called her that. She would always be his little Bellarina. Bella had never been graceful, and that had been his way of teasing her. He was her father after all; it was his job to embarrass her.

_And to protect her._

He frowned as he looked up at the wall; it was filled with pictures of Bella as she grew year to year. She was so much like him, quiet and reserved, and she loved hard. _But she got her stubbornness from her mother_, he decided.

Charlie finished the last of the beer in his hand and moved to stand up. He could tell he'd aged a lot in the last three years as his back cracked loudly. Sighing, he made his painful journey up the stairs and to his room, ignoring the closed door on the right as he passed it by.

Walking over to his night stand, he opened the small orange bottle and swallowed a little white pill. His years on the police force left him with many sleepless nights, and with his daughter's death fresh in his mind he would need a little help finding rest.

Charlie quickly changed, already feeling the effects of the pill with the help of the alcohol, and switched off the lights before crawling into bed.

The satisfaction he got from James' execution was extreme, but it didn't change anything. She was still gone.

And with that last heartbreaking thought, Charlie closed his eyes and let the world fade to black.

**The End**


End file.
